Wait, downward facing dog is a RESTING posture?

Wait, downward facing dog is a RESTING posture?

Do you follow us on the Gram? You should! We have a little series we run over there, Nerd Circle. We like to chat about asana and other yoga stuff so join us @frontyogaloft!

This Nerd Circle covers sooooo much info, we thought that sharing it here would serve us all better. And without further ado, Adho Mukha Shvanasana…

Downward Facing Dog Modifications / Adho Mukha Shvanasana

Have you ever heard someone say that downward facing dog is a resting posture? Did you blink your eyes, roll up your mat, and LOL all the way home?

Have you heard this craziness?! Perhaps when you’ve reached the Yoda level of Yoga you can close your eyes and take a snoozer, but for most of us downward facing dog feels like a whole lot of attentive work. This posture can leave you feeling like collapsing into a trembling puddle of triceps, shoulders, calves, and hamstrings––which isn’t necessarily a bad thing cuz yoga is some strong work sometimes––but let us offer a few modifications that can help you meet this posture in your body. Mmmk?

Photo #1: Bend your knees for tight calves and hamstrings. Your heels are going to pop up off the ground and that’s A-okay. Heels on the floor isn’t and never will be an indicator for a seasoned practitioner! Keep your hips reaching up to the sky to elongate your spine and create one long line from your wrist joints to your hip joints.

Photo #3: Puppy Pose! Who doesn’t love a puppy? Like, c’mon! WHO? People who hate the planet and chocolate chip cookies and kisses and back tickles––that’s who. This posture is just yummy. Bring those knees right down onto the floor. Yep! Come on down. Stack your hips over your knees, draw your belly into the front of your spine to support your lower back and extend your arms, planting your hands on your mat shoulder distance apart while externally rotating your shoulders as you would in down dog. Gently rest your forehead on your mat.

Want to talk about why we even do this pose? Sure thing! This isn’t a comprehensive list, but here are a few benefits to chew on: